1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to skis and more particularly to skis that comprise two or more separable segments. Specifically, it is concerned with a method and means for assembling and disassembling segmented skis which are intended for use on snow.
2. Prior Art
Those closely associated with snow skiing have long recognized the many advantages inherent in skis made up of segments which can readily be assembled and disassembled. Such skis are far easier to store and transport than conventional one-piece skis. The ability to separate the dismantled segments, or to lock them in an automobile trunk or in a relatively small storage space substantially reduces their exposure to theft. For mountaineering, forestry, and military applications the construction greatly facilitates back packing, climbing, and parachuting.
Segmented skis can be modified with ease. By substituting apropriate component sections, such skis can be shortened or lengthened, stiffened or made more resilient, or otherwise "customized" precisely to suit changing conditions and the ability and needs of the skier. With a single pair of center sections and bindings and two sets of tip and tail sections, one can carry with him the equivalent of four pairs of conventional skies specifically adapted for racing, freestyle, or recreational skiing. Expensive skis need not be discarded when one is broken or damaged beyond repair. The unusable portion can be replaced.
Not unexpectedly, numerous constructions for segmented skis and means for releasably joining the component sections of such skis have been proposed. Viewed broadly, these prior art devices fall into several fairly well-defined categories.
As illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,026,546, one construction mates the segments by overlapping their adjacent ends and securing one to the other by conventional means. This method may be suitable for water skiing but is unsatisfactory for snow skiing, in which the snow-contacting surface must be smooth and flat.
A second approach employs some form of interlocking mortise and tenon as the attachment means. These complex structures, as typified by U.S. Pat. No. 2,545,209, pose difficult manufacturing problems, especially with the hybrid materials and sophisticated internal construction employed in modern skis.
Another variation utilizes a butt joint, such as the mounting blocks of U.S. Pat. No. 3,819,198, to mate the segments. Skis embodying these devices, and those incorporating the previously mentioned interlocking mortise and tenon structures suffer from a number of deficiences. Some lack the structural integrity necessary for satisfactory ski performance, or suffer a loss of such integrity with wear. Some are adversely affected by the accumulation of snow, ice, and dirt. Nearly all of them require that their mating parts be manufactured to very close tolerances which are difficult to maintain. In some of them reliance is placed on critical components, such as locking screws, locating pins and the like, which may fail with catastrophic results when subjected to the high loads encountered in downhill skiing.
Another type of construction employs hinged connectors to join the segments. One such connector is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,884,315. Generally, skis employing such connectors cannot readily be disassembled.
The last category is typified by my U.S. Pat. No. 4,458,912, in which the adjacent segments are joined by means of an external plate or spline which is held in place by releasable clamping means. Splines, such as those shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,444,996 and 3,456,968, have long been used as fasteners and connectors for furniture, however they are unsuitable for use on segmented skis. While they provide means for preventing longitudinal and lateral movement between the fastener members, they are subject to torsion, translation, bending, and rotation. This shortcoming is of little or no consequence in a device used on furniture, but in one intended for coupling ski segments, it is critical. My coupler enjoys the advantages of such prior art devices, and at the same time avoids the deficiences heretofore associated with tem.